[oh8eleven]

The number does sound low, but that’s the number reported by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs.
According to the 2000 Census, StatJump lists NYC first in the US with 348,722 vets.
That's about 50% more than 2010 census (201,283). WWII vets moving out of city or dieing?

[centurion316]

New York City provided large numbers of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines during World War II and that continued until the elimination of the draft in the 1970’s. Today, I don’t think New Yorkers enlist in very large numbers.

The World War II veterans are almost gone, that’s probably the reason for the large drop in the past 10 years.